I would say that the first, most notable feature of the Yucatan Peninsula, was how developed the roads and roadside stops became. Without really announcing so, we could tell that time and money had been put into making the area easy and comfortable to traverse. As such, we had a smooth drive all the way to Chelem, a beach town on the Northern shore of the peninsula, neighbouring the port town of Progresso.
We were greeted by the property manager and our very helpful host, Lisandro, who proudly showed us around the home. Our jaws collectively dropped. We’d seen photos when we had booked the home via Airbnb, but photos seem never to do justice to the overall feeling of a home. This one openly invited us to plop down in an oversized chair or on a pile of pillows and listen to the rhythmic ocean waves. It encouraged us to make a latte on the espresso machine and let sand sink between our toes while we walk the beach. The pink flamingos on the walls welcomed us to a home with space, privacy, and an incredible view. We slipped on our flip-flops and they stayed on our feet for a month.
Once settled, we started to explore the area including the neighbouring port town. In Progresso, we found a dog shelter that is also a yummy restaurant called Ginger’s Rescue & Restaurant. We volunteered a number of times at Ginger’s R&R where we mostly walked the puppies who needed to get out and get some exercise. It was a tough job. None of the dogs have any training and most of them are stronger than the kids. So we had to work as a team to make sure they didn’t break away. At our next visit, the kids preferred trying their hand at bathing the puppies and helping in other ways. It was tough to volunteer; the kids loved being around the dogs, but it was a lot of work and they struggled to find the motivation to help. We got to see this internal struggle and it opened up opportunities for conversations about doing something for others who are less fortunate. It felt to Erik and I like a parenting win.
Most days were spent at the house catching up on some neglected math practice, reading books together, making final decisions on our next edventure location, and doing a “double dunk”. We coined this phrase to symbolize when we take a dip in the ocean and then run ourselves through our outdoor shower before jumping into the swimming pool. The kids found a lot of joy in designing and building sand cities on the beach, often including break-walls and other water-diverting technologies in hopes of saving the structure from the incoming tide (shout out to my siblings who used to help me build Toad City on our little pebble beach at our grandparents’ cottage as kids). Every morning, we would see brown pelicans diving for their breakfast. If fishing boats were out dropping and checking their nets, the pelicans would swim close by in hopes of grabbing any escapees. During the early afternoons, Caspian terns would arrive and would dive vertically into the water only metres from the shore, even while we swam, to grab their lunch. By nightfall, the horizon would be spotted with lights from fishing vessels and, on the clear nights, we’d be able to stare at a beautiful sky of stars before the moon appeared.
One of the reasons that we decided to spend time on the Yucatan Peninsula was to experience the adventure of swimming in cenotes (say-no-tays). These are natural pits, or sinkholes, resulting from the collapse of limestone bedrock that exposes groundwater. We had learned that the Peninsula was rife with cenotes because it is the location where, millions of years ago, a large meteor struck. The along the rim of its impact is where these cenotes now exist. If you want to get into the science of their formation, have a read here. We chose a more commercial site as our first experience; Santa Barbara just on the outskirts of the town of Homún. There were change rooms and restrooms, lifejackets (mandatory), and even bicycles included in the fee. The three cenotes were a km from the parking lot so you could opt to cycle or take a “Mayan Uber” as our driver called it. We sat on a small cart sitting on rails that was pulled by a horse.
The first of the three cenotes was fully enclosed and we had to duck through a narrow opening under tree roots which then opened up to a wooden staircase and platform. The cave was lit with underwater lights to add atmosphere to an otherwise unlit cave. We were happy to discover that the water temperature was very comfortable. We did a few laps around the cave enjoying the echoes of our voices.
The second cenote was a semi-enclosed site meaning that enough of the ground above the hole was open to the sky that you would get natural light in the cave. We had to descend a stairwell through the ceiling hole to reach the water. This site had fish swimming around and nibbling our toes. It was also sporting many stalactites that would reach down into the water and create obstacles to swim around. Again, the water was a very comfortable temperature.
The final site was also semi-enclosed but the entrance was from the side of the hole. We walked down a ramp and then along a wooden platform that was under a foot of water. This was a very deep hole. We couldn’t see the bottom. There was a large tree resting on the edge of the exposed ceiling whose roots were stretching down to the water. The sun warmed a portion of the deep water hole, but our feet could tell by the temperature change that it was colder below!
On another outing, we went to two cenotes that were a bit harder to reach and less developed. We took a single-lane road for almost 10km over ruts and bumps and rocks. Sadly, our truck got a few new stripes along its sides; a souvenir of this adventure. The cenotes had fairly open ceilings, but their access stairs were rickety and creaky and an adventure on their own. We chose these two spots for their deep waters and their jumping platforms. Simon and Molly tried the jumps and became instantly hooked. We took with us a friend from Erik’s free-diving course who showed the kids how she can dive deep with one breath. Sun beams penetrated the water, making magical swimming holes! It was a wonderful outing that we’ll fondly remember.
Around town, we found a few other adventures. There’s a beach that has pigs. The staff will let the pigs out to run around a few times a day. We were lucky to be there when that happened. They were pretty funny to watch! The town of Progresso is home to the longest pier in the world: 6.5km in length. The town can host cruise ships and has a vibrant “malecon” or boardwalk. We found yummy Cuban food and live music one evening. In the city of Mérida, we walked around the city square, wandered through the central market, and visited the Mayan World Museum. This museum was very well built and included mayan history all the way to the present day. It was not highly interactive, in fact, it was very hands-off for COVID, but it was still engaging enough for the kids.
As this was our first time living so close to a beach, we took time to really assess if we enjoyed the extra humidity, the constant waves and wind, and having sand in almost everything despite best efforts to leave it outside. The verdict? No. As calming and as inviting as the ocean views are, once it becomes routine, you really have to love it to want to be beside it. And in a theatrical finale, as if to solidify our opinion, a “norte” storm blew in on our last night with heavy rain and strong winds. The power went out and remained out while we tried to pack up and head out. Farewell Chelem. We leave with fond memories and a well-rested soul.
On our way to Cancún, we stopped for a visit of Chichén Itzá. It was drizzling and had been raining most of the morning so the ground was fairly muddy and the air held a damp chill. We opted to explore the area on our own and made sure to see the large temple, the numerous standing columns, and the large ball game field. It is believed that the main ball game (sometimes called pok-a-tok or pitz) was played across many civilizations. A rubber-like ball was moved around the court by using the body (not hands or feet) and sent through a stone hoop on the side of the court. This was the first court we had seen and were really impressed by its size and by how high up the wall the hoops were placed. It must have been a really tough game! The whole ruins site was fairly busy but not so much that we felt crowded. The weather chased us out a bit earlier than we’d planned, but the kids are starting to feel like they’ve “learned enough” about the Maya.
We took a 4-night detour to Miami in order to get some COVID vaccinations for the kids. The flight was the first commercial flight for the kids. They were all a bit nervous until we were at cruising altitude. Simon had a window seat and kept excitedly dictating everything he could see to his sisters. The biggest thrill for him was flying through a cloud! The flight itself was only slightly more than an hour. Sadly, the entry into the US took over 2 hours. The kids were troopers, standing in line that long. We went through a lot of word games and jokes and anything we could think of to help pass the time. Once through customs, we found our luggage already heaved off the carousel and strewn amongst the many other suitcases of non-US visitors still in line. We dragged ourselves out the exit and walked right into….MY PARENTS!!!!! My Mom and Dad drove down to Miami from Ontario to surprise us! Our spirits lifted instantly.
The next three days went by too quickly. We tried to capitalize on Grandma and Grandpa time while still running some important errands. We took a trip to South Beach to take in the sites. We found a diner for a yummy lunch. We watched some of the Olympics. We shared stories and videos and just hung out together. It was tough to leave!
Once back in Mexico, we drove to Tulum and spent a day at the Xel-Ha water park. This was very different from most of our experiences so far, but we’re glad we went. We got to tube through mangroves, snorkel, and try some zip lines. There was a huge waterslide which was very fast! Simon and Molly tried it and liked it enough to go for a second ride down. We ate heartily (it was all-inclusive) and stayed until closing.
The next morning, we explored the Mayan ruins at Tulum, which are right at the Caribbean Sea. It was a walled town that had a history of being a rebel base. The stone ruins were different enough from the other sites for it to feel like a very different village. The sky was blue, the sun was hot, and the site was very busy. We didn’t enjoy our visit. We did enjoy seeing lots and lots of iguanas suntanning.
From Tulum, we drove to the edge of Mexico, just North of the border with Belize. Although it hadn’t been our original plan, we decided to explore the tiny, Caribbean country. Stay tuned for more on that Edventure!